Hope Institute for Children and Families has developed a “corrective-action plan” to improve procedures for preventing, detecting and intervening in cases of child abuse and neglect among the developmentally disabled children and young adults in Hope’s care, a spokesman said Thursday.

The plan, which Mark Schmidt said has received verbal approval from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, is designed “to make sure the children are safe,” and to “clean up” gaps in Hope procedures pointed out by DCFS.

Schmidt said he announced the plan because Hope officials want the public to “have confidence” in the not-for-profit organization.

But he said the plan doesn’t end an investigation by state agencies and Springfield police into potential abuse and neglect at Hope’s Springfield residential sites that began in late November.

DCFS wouldn’t confirm the existence of a corrective-action plan but issued a joint statement Thursday with the Illinois Department of Human Services that said the state agencies are “working jointly to ensure the safety, security and well-being of the children and young adults at Hope Institute.”

The statement said both DCFS and Human Services, because of the ongoing investigation, “have 24-hour monitoring coverage where appropriate on-site. … In addition, new admissions to the facility are prohibited until further notice.”

No arrests have been made or charges filed in connection with the investigation.

‘Zero tolerance’

DCFS and Springfield police have said little about the activities and issues they are examining. But Springfield police have confirmed the probe includes the case of an unnamed 10-year-old with autism living at Hope’s main campus at 15 East Hazel Dell Lane who allegedly suffered a fractured right arm and bruises in mid- to late November.

The State Journal-Register confirmed the investigation also includes the case of 15-year-old Brandon Well, a Hope resident who suffered a broken right arm Nov. 19. His mother, Theresa Meadows of Springfield, believes the spiral fracture was the result of abuse or neglect by Hope staff.

Schmidt wouldn’t comment on individual cases and wouldn’t release a copy of the corrective-action plan but said it deals with issues such as supervision of children, cleanliness and record keeping.

In the first detailed interview given by a Hope official since the investigation began, Schmidt confirmed that Hope put 30 employees on paid leave for about a week in connection with the investigation. He revealed Thursday that the employees worked in a residential section of the main campus that was an initial focus of the investigation.

He said the paid leaves, which ended by Wednesday, were part of Hope’s “zero tolerance” policy for removing employees from the care of clients until an investigation of their conduct clears them of suspicion.

Schmidt said it’s important for the public to understand the difficult job Hope employees face, the violence those employees sometimes have to deal with, the training they undergo to keep clients safe and the agency’s commitment to firing employees who mistreat clients.

Page 2 of 2 - Client-on-client abuse “does happen, and we try to do everything we can to minimize it,” Schmidt said.

Staff, client injuries

Hope employs about 500 people in Springfield and serves about 130 children and young adults — about 60 on its main campus and 70 in 14 group homes elsewhere in the city.

“The children we serve at the Hope Institute face some of life’s most severe challenges,” Schmidt said. “These are children who have not been able to be successful in a home setting because of their violence, because of their self-injurious behavior, because of their damage to property. We work very diligently to help those children be successful.”

He noted that Hope staff members don’t sedate patients or use straps or other physical restraints.

Since Jan. 1, 350 Hope employees have reported to their employer that they were injured on the job by clients, Schmidt said. The injuries can range from black eyes, bites and bruises to broken bones, he said.

All staff members are trained on how to act with people who have autism and other developmental disabilities, he said, adding that they learn how to diffuse potentially violent situations with words or touch.

Staff members are required to report any suspected cases of abuse or neglect to the state, he said.

From Jan. 1 through Oct. 31, 18 percent of the 32 Hope Institute cases reported to the state’s child-abuse hotline resulted in a finding of abuse or neglect, Schmidt said. More than 60 percent of the cases were unfounded, and the remainder are still under investigation, he said.

More than one-third of the 32 cases were reported by Hope staff, Schmidt said.

The findings of abuse or neglect could have implicated staff members or Hope clients, he added.

So far this year, 10 Hope employees in Springfield have been fired in connection with abuse or neglect of clients, Schmidt said. Another four were fired for abuse- or neglect-related findings connected with activities outside of their employment at Hope, he said.